Environmental
Politics
Political Science 3480, Fall 2012
12:30-1:45, Monday & Wednesday, 410 SSB
Instructor: Dave Robertson, 801 Tower
Office Hours:
Monday & Wednesday, 11-11:30; Thursday 9:00-Noon
and
I will arrange other times to fit your
schedule.
Phone 516-5855; Fax 516-5268, e-mail
DaveRobertson@umsl.edu
What
Is The Course About?
/ How To Get A Good Grade
/ Exams
/ Books
/ Participation
/ The Paper
Detailed Course Schedule
/ Environmental Politics Websites
/ Critical Thinking Skills
/ Environmental Politics
Bibliography
1. What is the Course About?
Our environment
provides the beauty that ennobles us and the resources that enrich us. The way
we govern our land, water and air exposes our deepest ideals, our deepest
conflicts, and the deepest secrets of politics and government.
This course has two goals.
Our first goal is to understand the most
important environmental controversies, primarily in the United States, and way governments have responded
to environmental problems. Topics include water and air pollution, population growth, energy,
global warming, solid and hazardous waste, endangered species, and international
environmental cooperation. Our second goal is to build analytical and
problem-solving skills. Political science is a discipline that analyzes the way
that groups of people work out problems when they disagree about values and are
uncertain about facts. Environmental issues offer a great way to explore the way
that the United States engages in this kind of problem solving. Environmental
problems involve ideological, partisan, class, ethnic, and gender conflicts.
They also involve great uncertainty about causes, effects, and risk. If you
understand environmental problem solving in the United States, then, you will
have a better understanding of solving other kinds of problems.
By the end of the course, then, you
should have (1) mastered a body of basic information about environment issues
and policies, and (2) a better command of the problem-solving skills used to
make public policy. To measure your
achievement, the course includes extensive class discussion, three
examinations, quizzes, and a final paper.
This course does not require that
you have a background in biological or other sciences.
2. Our Contract. By enrolling in
this course, you and I have agreed to a contract with each other. l'll work
hard to be prepared, enthusiastic, fair and respectful of every student and
their opinions. I'll be accessible and try my best to return graded materials
after no more than a week. By enrolling in the class, you've agreed to (1)
attend every class, (2) to participate by asking questions and joining in class
discussions, and (3) reading the assigned material and completing assignments on time. Of all the consumer purchases you make, don't let your
University of Missouri education be the one purchase where you expect less
for your money.
3. How to Get a Good Grade. The grade for the
course will be determined in the following way:
Participation: 10% of the final grade
Quizzes: 10% of
the final grade
Exam 1: 15% of the final grade
Exam 2: 15% of the final grade
Exam 3: 20% of the final grade
Paper
proposal: 5% of the final grade
Paper
Outline/Bibl.: 5% of
the final grade
Paper: 20% of the final grade
NOTE: You are not are NOT competing with other students for a grade. There
is no curve in this course. Each student can get an A, or can get a D. It's up
to you.
4. Exams. There will be three exams
(September 26 in class, October 29 in class,
and December 12 in our classroom at 10:00 am). Each of the exams will consist of three
parts: 20 true / false questions worth 2 points each, 2 identification
questions worth 10 points each, and an essay worth 40 points. The final
exam will include an additional essay question.
5. Books. The following books, which
are required reading in this course, are available at the UM-St. Louis
bookstore.
Eathorne, Richard, ed. 2012. Annual Editions: Environment
12/13. 31st edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Paperback. ISBN: 978-0-07-351561-8
Easton, Thomas A. ed. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on
Environmental Issues, 15th edition. Paperback. New
York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-07-351451-2.
Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People
(any edition - available used and in many public libraries)
Smith, Zachary, The Environmental Policy Paradox, 6th
ed. Paperback. Boston: Pearson, 2012.
ISBN: 978-0-205-85588-9
6. Participation. You must
participate in this course actively in order for it to work well. You must
prepare for and attend class, and you must contribute thoughtfully to
discussion. To ensure fairness in allocating this portion of the grade, sign-up
sheets will be circulated during some of the classes. If we invite a guest
speaker, you can be certain that your absence will reduce your grade.
Your reading assignments are listed on the attached class schedule. You are
expected to read the material before coming to class, and you are expected to
be prepared to discuss the reading material in class. You may be asked to
discuss a question regarding the reading during the class for which the reading
is assigned. You will be assigned responsibility for some of the specific
debates in the Taking Sides book. You are expected and should plan to
participate in class for the trial of Dr. Stockmann (September 10) and
the Mediterranean exercise (November 26 and 8).
I strongly encourage you to ask questions about environmental policy
and public policy. I strongly encourage you to ask questions about
the day's readings and lecture.
7. Environmental Policy Background Memo.
You will write a 12-15 page environmental policy background memo for the class.
The paper requires you to provide information to a presidential campaign about
an environmental policy issue of your choice. This assignment aims to encourage
you to use the course concepts to analyze the environmental problem and policy
response of your choice. The paper is due no later than Monday December 3.
Students are expected to hand in a 1-2 paragraph written proposal for the paper
on Wednesday, September 19 and a detailed paper outline with a bibliography
of at least 5 sources
on Wednesday, October 24. The proposal and the outline each are worth 5% of
the paper grade. (Be sure to read item 8 below).
LATE PAPERS lose 1 point for every day that ends in the letter
"y".
8. Quizzes. There will be six short quizzes in
the class: August 29, September 10, October 3, October 17, November 7, and
November 26. These quizzes will cover the readings due for that date class
and nothing else; the last quiz will cover information you will gather on the
nation you are assigned for the Mediterranean exercise.
9. Current Events. Pay closer attention to environmental
policy developments this semester. You can do this by reading the
St.
Louis Post-Dispatch national news section more closely, and by
scanning the
New
York Times, the
Washington Post, and Wall Street
Journal are among the newspapers available daily. The daily St. Louis
Post-Dispatch, the New York Times, and USA Today are available
free to students at several locations on campus. The
New York Times
Environment website, MSNBC
Environment webpage, and the Environmental New
Network have very good coverage of environmental issues. See also the Environmental
Politics Links on the course website. The
Monkey
Cage / Environmental Politics site has very good coverage of the political
science work on environmental politics. Google news includes articles from
many newspapers around the nation and the world. The Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report and the National
Journal are weekly publications available in the reference area, and they
are outstanding sources for national policy developments.
10. Plagiarism.
Plagiarism means taking the written ideas of someone else and presenting
them in your writing as if they were your ideas, without giving the author
credit. Plagiarism (a word which
comes from the Latin word for kidnapping) is deceitful and dishonest. Violations that have occurred
frequently in the past include not using quotation marks for direct quotes and
not giving citations when using someone else's ideas; using long strings of
quotations, even when properly attributed, does not constitute a paper of your
own.
Plagiarism in written work for
this class is unacceptable. The University's
Student Conduct
Code classifies plagiarism as a form of academic dishonesty. Depending on the severity of the
plagiarism, punishment can include receiving no credit for the assignment,
failing the course and referral for university disciplinary action.
10. Other Stuff. When I return your exam, please check to make
sure that I have computed your grade correctly. Please ask questions! Please be in your seat by the
time class begins. Please do not hold private conversations during class.
If you do not understand lecture, if you have further questions about lecture,
please don't hesitate to interrupt and ask your question.
COURSE SCHEDULE
August 20 (Monday)
Introduction:
The Stakes
August 22 (Wednesday)
The Dominant Social Paradigm
READ:
Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 1-18
Annual Editions,
Preface, Numbers
35-37, pages iv-v, 189-201
August 27 (Monday)
Americans
and their Environment
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 18-38
Annual Editions, Numbers
2, 35, pages 12-17, 189-193
August 29 (Wednesday)
What is Environmental Protection Worth?
READ:
Taking Sides, Numbers 2 & 3, pages 21-64
Annual Editions, Numbers 24, 26, 33, pages 123-128, 132-137, 181-186
QUIZ
September 3
(Monday) Labor Day - Class does not meet
September 5 (Wednesday)
Critics of the Dominant
Social Paradigm
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox,
pages 44-57
Annual Editions, Number
7, pages 40-46
Taking Sides, Number 1, pages 1-20
September 12 (Wednesday)
The Puzzle of American
Politics
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox,
pages 59-69
September 17 (Monday)
The Puzzle of American
Government
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 69-84;
Annual Editions 32, 38, pages 165-180, 202-211
September 19 (Wednesday)
How Does
the United States Govern Land?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 258-274
Annual Editions
6, 25, pages 36-39, 129-131
PAPER
PROPOSAL DUE (1-2 paragraphs)
September 24 (Monday)
How Does
the United States Govern Land?
READ:
Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 248-258
Taking Sides, Number 4, pages 65-84
September 26 (Wednesday) EXAM 1 -
Study Guide for Exam 1
October 1 (Monday)
How Does the United States Govern
Water?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 143-163
October 3 (Wednesday)
How Does the United States Govern
Water?
READ: Annual Editions,
Numbers 13-15, pages 70-87
Taking Sides,
Number 8-9, pages 148-178
QUIZ
October 8 (Monday)
How Does the United States Govern Energy?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 168-186
October 10 (Wednesday)
How Does the United States Govern Energy?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages
186-200
Annual Editions,
Numbers 30-31, pages 156-161
October 15 (Monday)
How Does the United States Govern Energy?
READ: Taking Sides, Numbers 10-11, pages 179-221;
Annual Editions,
Numbers 27-29, pages 138-155
October 17 (Wednesday)
How Does the United States Govern Nuclear
Power and Waste?
READ: Taking Sides,
Numbers 12, 19, pages 222-240, 343-356
Annual Editions,
Number 16, pages 137-146
QUIZ
October 22 (Monday)
How Does the United States Govern Hazardous & Solid Waste?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 213-240
Taking Sides, Numbers
18, pages 327-342
Annual Editions, Number 34, pages 186-188
October 24
(Wednesday)
How Does the United States Govern Hazardous & Solid Waste?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 198-214
Taking Sides,
Numbers 16-17, pages 293-326
PAPER OUTLINE & BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE
October 29 (Monday)
EXAM 2 -
Study Guide for Exam 2
October 31
(Wednesday)
How Does the United States Govern the Air?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 98-106
November 5 (Monday)
How Does the United States Govern the Air?
READ: Smith, The
Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 106-126
November 7 (Wednesday)
Global Warming:
What Should the U.S. Do?
READ: Annual Editions,
Numbers 16, 18-19, pages 91-93, 96-105
Smith,
The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 126-132, 289-293
Taking Sides, Numbers
6-7, pages 110-147
QUIZ
November 12 (Monday)
How Does the World Manage
International Problems?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 293-300
Annual Editions,
Numbers 3, 5, 17, pages 18-22, 31-35, 94-95
November 14 (Wednesday)
How Does
the World Manage International Problems?
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 304-322
Annual Editions Numbers
20-23, pages 106-119
Taking Sides,
Number 14, pages 257-273
November 19 & 21: Thanksgiving Break
November 26
(Monday) The
Mediterranean 1
HANDOUT
Handout;
Skim the
World Wildlife Federation Mediterranean Site
QUIZ
November 28 (Wednesday) The
Mediterranean 2
HANDOUT
December 3 (Monday)
Population & Food
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 282-289
Taking Sides,
Numbers 13, 15, pages 241-256, 274-292
Annual Editions Numbers
1, 9-12, pages 3-11, 52-69
PAPER DUE
December 5
(Wednesday)
The Future
READ: Smith, The Environmental Policy Paradox, pages 325-327
Annual Editions Numbers
4, 8, 39 pages 23-27, 47-51, 212-21
December 12 (Wednesday) FINAL
EXAM, 10:00-12:00 -
Study Guide for Final Exam
ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
WEBSITES
Environmental New Service (ENS)
/ New York
Times Environment News / MSNBC Environment /
Earthtrends
The National Library for the Environment
/ Earth Policy Institute
National Council for Science and the Environment /
The Daily Planet
Florida Center for Environmental Studies
Environmental Organizations
Congress /
The President /
The Federal Judicial System
/ Environmental
Law
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of the Interior /
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
U.S. Department of Energy
/
U.S. DOE Energy Topics A-Z
State and local government
/
Council of State Governments Environmental Policy
/
Interstate Compacts
Missouri State Government
Missouri Department of
Conservation /
Missouri
Department of Natural Resources
Missouri data
St. Louis City
/
St. Louis County
/
St. Charles County
/
Jefferson County
Missouri Botanical Garden
EPA Envirofacts
/
St. Louis Air Quality Camera
League of Conservation Voters
/ Missouri Votes
Conservation
Sierra Club
/
Sierra Club - Ozark Chapter
/
Natural Resources Defense Council
/
National Audubon Society
/
Audubon Society-St. Louis
/
National Wildlife Federation
/
Izaak Walton League
/
Environmental Defense Fund
/ World Wildlife Federation
/
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
/
American Rivers
Wilderness Society /Greenpeace
/Resources
for the Future
Nature Conservancy / the
Trust for Public Land
/
Sustainable St. Louis
/
Trailnet
/
Greenway Network
Friends of the Earth /
Earth First!
/
Sea Shepards
U.S. Chamber of Commerce /
National Association of Manufacturers
National Federation of Independent Business
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers /
American Waterways Operators /
American Farm Bureau /
National Corn Growers Association /
National Center for Environmental Economics
/
Ecofriendly shopping
US Clean Air Market Programs
/
US Watershed Trading Programs
Climate
change:
US EPA /
NASA /
NSF /
New York Times /
World Bank
/
UNEP /
Pew Center
/
Presidential Climate Action Project
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IPCC 2007
Report: The Physical
Science Basis /
Mitigation /
Policy-Makers' Summaries:
Impacts,
Adaptation, and Vulnerabilities
American Petroleum Institute /
Peabody Energy /
Nuclear Energy Institute /
MIT Report on the Future of Coal
Platts Energy
News /
Edison Electric Institute /
CRS Briefing on Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1996
/
CRS Briefing on Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 2001
Heritage
Foundation Energy and Environment
Heartland Institute
Competitive Enterprise Institute /
American Land Rights Association
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Pesticide Net
Superfund /
EPA Oil Spill program /
Missouri DNR Hazardous Waste Program /
Superfund, RCRA, and other environmentally sensitive sites in St. Louis
U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste /
St. Louis Region Solid Waste Disposal
Recycler’s World /
Missouri Recycling Association
Zero Waste America
Biotechnology Industry Organization
President's Council on Sustainable Development - Final Report
/
EPA's Community-Based Approaches site
/
Northwest Environment Watch /
National Geographic's Smart Suburb
/
Sierra Club Sprawl site
/ Sprawl City
Smart Growth Online
Sustainable St. Louis
/
Suburban Sprawl in St. Louis
/
Confluence Greenway
Biodiversity Webserver
/
U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation Systems
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program
Defenders of Wildlife
/ WildAid
/
Center for Biological Diversity
Mountain States Legal Foundation
/
Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise
/
Defenders of Property Rights
Takings
and the Courts
Missouri River Basin
Association /
Coalition to Protect
the Missouri River
Midwest Area River Coalition /
Missouri Farm Bureau
The Ocean
Conservancy / Circle of
Blue
Central Intelligence
Agency, World Factbook
United Nations Environment
Programme
/ UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Yearbook of International Co-operation on Environment and Development
/
Center for International Environmental Law
North American Commission for Environmental
Cooperation
World Wildlife Federation Mediterranean Site
THE
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MEMO
You will write an environmental policy background memo for a
coordinator of environmental and energy issues for one of the two major
presidential campaigns. It will be 13-15 pages (typed).
Choose an environmental policy issue, and provide an analysis
of the issue for the Senator (it can be a real Senator, or a person you invent). You need to provide
OBJECTIVE and specific answers to the
following questions:
· Why should this issue be on the
national agenda? How
many people does it affect, and how does it affect them?
· What are the key things to know about
past efforts to deal with this issue?
· What are the key choices
and alternatives in addressing this issue,
and what are their consequences? Not acting at all is an alternative.
· Who are the key participants in this issue? Be sure to address
key environmental groups, businesses, and other interests. How
powerful are these interests? How will they react to the different alternatives?
·
Describe the political costs and benefits of different
alternatives.
·
What is the best alternative course of action in the future?
Explain and justify thoroughly.
Grading criteria include: (1) the degree to which you put
effort into the paper; (2) the degree to which you use specific facts and
figures in your analysis; (3) the fairness, objectivity, and recognition of all
points of view demonstrated in the paper; (4) the quality of the writing and
organization of the paper; (5) the quality and diversity of the sources; (6) the
persuasiveness of the your argument for the proposed improvement in the
situation.
An "A" paper will be clear, concise, and specific. It will
cite at least 8 sources (of which 1 should be from class readings, 2 from
outside research articles, and 2 from outside books).
Regrettably, late papers will lose 1 point a day (as indicated
in the syllabus).
Paper grades will be reduced if the papers do not cite their
evidence in the body of the paper and at the end of the paper. Your
introduction (1 paragraph maximum) should specifically summarize your argument,
your evidence, and your conclusion. Your paper's introduction should be the last
thing you write before you submit the paper. The conclusion also should
summarize your argument and findings.
Citations must include the author's full name, the date of the
piece, and a full reference to it. In the body of your paper, cite the author's
last name and the date (and page number, if appropriate) of the piece as
follows: (Vaughn, 2007: 103). At the end of your paper, append a bibliography
in the following form (for articles, books, and chapters, respectively; note
that these are in alphabetical order):
Crouch, Elisa. 2004.
“St. Peters board approves bonds for controversial levee.” St. Louis Post
Dispatch. August 14, 2004: 21.
Parker, Mario. 2012. "Twenty Five U.S. Senators Ask EPA to Adjust
Ethanol Mandate." August 7. Bloomberg BusinessWeek website.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-07/twenty-five-u-dot-s-dot-senators-ask-epa-to-adjust-ethanol-mandate
(accessed August 16, 2012)
Smith, Zachary. 2012. The Environmental Policy Paradox. 6th edition.
Boston, MA: Pearson.
Plagiarism
means taking the written ideas of someone else
and presenting them in your writing as if they were your ideas, without giving
the author credit. Plagiarism (a
word which comes from the Latin word for kidnapping) is deceitful and
dishonest. Violations that have
occurred frequently in the past include not using quotation marks for direct
quotes and not giving citations when using someone else's ideas; using long
strings of quotations, even when properly attributed, does not constitute a
paper of your own.
Plagiarism in written work for this class is
unacceptable. The University's
Student Conduct Codeclassifies plagiarism as a form of academic dishonesty. Depending on the severity of the
plagiarism, punishment can include receiving no credit for the assignment,
failing the course and referral for university disciplinary action.
CRITICAL THINKING
SKILLS
This course aims to improve critical thinking skills.
When you evaluate the articles you read for class or for your journal, or when
you participate to discussion, read and listen actively (You can use some of
the items in this list directly in assessing articles in your journals; item 7
is especially important).
When you complete the course, you should be more skilled in your ability to:
1. Distinguish Fact and Opinion.
A fact is a statement that can be proven to be true. An opinion is a
statement of a person's feelings about something. When you read or listen in
this course, actively distinguish fact and opinion by asking:
- When someone asserts that something is true, what's the evidence?
2. Recognize Bias and Rhetoric.
What do you think the person wants readers or listeners to think or do? How
does the person use words or phrases to accomplish this? Does the author or
speaker paint word pictures that are particularly attractive for the things she
likes, or that are especially awful for the things that he doesn't like? How do
the authors select examples to stir your emotions?
3. Determine Cause and Effect.
Does the person assert that one fact follows as the result of another?
(Examples include such statements as "Increased auto exhaust causes global
warming," or "Government regulations cause unemployment"). How
sweeping are these assertions? What is the evidence for it? How persuasive is
this evidence?
4. Compare and contrast different points of view.
5. Determine the accuracy and completeness of the information provided. When
you read more than one point of view on an issue, you should think about the
following:
- What facts and cause-effect relationships does everyone agree about?
- What facts and cause-effect relationships do authors or speakers disagree
about?
- What important facts do some persons raise, while others ignore?
- What sources could be used to determine the accuracy of the information
you hear?
6. Recognize poor logic and faulty reasoning. When you read more than one
point of view on an issue, you should think about the following logical
problems. Note that the examples often include more than one form of poor
logic.
a. Incorrect cause-effect relationships ("The Clean Air Act of 1990
preceded the recent economic recession, therefore the CAA caused the
recession" [Were other factors much more influential in bringing about the
economic downturn? Did the Clean Air Act have any substantial independent
effect on the economy in recent years?])
b. Inaccurate or distorted use of statistics ("Environmental laws of
the 1970s failed to reduce pollution;" think about whether, for example,
population and economic growth offset environmental gains from policy). Think
about widely different assumptions and projections of the future; for example,
environmentalists may project that the protection of the Northern spotted owl
may cause little net loss of jobs in the Pacific Northwest because they assume
that such restrictions will benefit fishing, tourism, and other industries; the
logging companies and unions may project the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.
c. Faulty analogies or comparisons ("Congress can't balance the federal
budget, so how can it clean up the environment?" or "Auto companies
have lied about safety, so how can they be trusted on emissions controls?"
Such assertions tend to be matters of opinion rather than demonstrable facts).
d. Oversimplifications that ignore important information ("Tougher
environmental laws can create jobs in the long run, so the economy will be
better off if stricter laws are enacted;" such a statement ignores the
number of persons who may be displaced in the short run with a given
environmental law).
e. Stereotyping ("all environmentalists are kooks; all conservatives are
greedy crooks"). Modifiers such as "all," "never," or
"always" often provide a tip off stereotyping).
f. Ignoring the question (when asked if auto emissions cause globalwarming,
the person instead talks about the cost of regulation or the potential seriousness
of global warming).
g. Faulty generalization (the 1970 Clean Air Act's effort to force
automobile companies to drastically reduce emissions failed to cause automobile
companies to reach that goal within the original time limit; therefore all environmental
legislation is a failure).
7. Develop inferences and draw logical conclusions. Ask yourself:
- What are the person's conclusions?
- Do you agree or disagree with these conclusions?
- What other conclusions could you draw from this
information?
- What other information is important to know
before making a judgment
about the value of this
person's argument?
Background downloaded from
http://www.grsites.com
Last Updated September 16, 2012